Cord support for hearing aids



Sept. 23, 1952 1.. b. CATES CORD SUPPORT FOR HEARING AIDS Filed June 7, 1947 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED .S TAT ES PATENT OFFICE 2,611,831 l l I CORD SUPPORT FOR HEARING AIDS Lillian D.. Gates, Los Angeles, Calif. Application. June 7, 1947, 'Serial'No. 753,393

My invention relates to improvements in hearing aid apparatus and particularly to an improved'means for supporting a hearing aid cord.

Hearing aid apparatus of the type to which my invention applies-includes a sound-reproducing device adapted for mounting in sound-conduction relationship to the users head at a point adjacent the affected ear. This apparatus also includes a sound-pickup device, usually including an amplifier, which is adapted for mounting upon the users clothing, such as at his waist or chest, This apparatus also includes a cord usually comprising a pair of electric wires for conducting electric signals from the sound-pickup device to the sound-reproducing device. While my invention is applicable to hearing aid apparatus employing either the air-conduction type or the bone-conduction type of sound-reproducing device, it is particularly applicable to the former.

At the present time no satisfactory means is available for leading the cord from the soundpickup device to the sound-reproducing device without the cord showing. To many people this does not matter. However others, particularly ladies who are interested in their appearance, would prefer to carry the cord in some inconspicuous manner. Sometimes ladies attempt to conceal a hearing aid cord by attaching it to the back of the head by means of a hairpin or a bobby pin. However, this method of supporting the cord is not very secure.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a hearing aid cord support which is capable of completely concealing the hearing aid cord, especially when used by ladies.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a cord support which is readily attachable over the users ears and beneath the users hair.

The foregoing and other objects of my invention, together with numerous features thereof, will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description of several embodiments of my invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of the head of a lady using one embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cord support of Fig. 1.

According to my invention a hearing aid cord. is supported at one point adjacent the users affected ear and at another point at the rear of the users head by means of a supporting structure which is adapted for secure attachment to the users head and which is shaped, to encircle 2 a at least the portion'of the usershead between the affected ear and the back ofgthe head; fln a preferred form of the invention, which is par;- ticularly suitable for use bypersons who d pot use spectacles, the cord support structure comprises a filamentarymember whichis provided with hooks at its outer extremitiesfor hooking over the ears and'which is shaped to lieclose to the rear portion of the users head. 'Thisfflla mentary member is in the form ofa wire".-- Preferably the filamentary member'provi'des a-iirst eye at the rear of the head anda=--seg nd eye adjacent the affected ear in order to facilitfate securing the cord at the two points. The e'yes comprise loops'forme'd directly therein 1 If Preferably in my invention various portions thereof are either flesh-colored orhair-colored as may be most desirable ino'rder to affect maxi}- mum concealmentofthe cor'dsupport structure itself.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a cord support structure comprising a wire member 9 including a rear portion 10 shaped to encircle the back of the head and merging into two upwardly extending arms l2 which terminate in downwardly directed, forwardly extending hooks M. The entire cord support structure is shaped to conform to the back of the users head when supported by resting the hooks 14 upon the upper portion of the users ears. When worn by a lady, the entire cord support structure may be concealed beneath the hair.

The wire member 9 is formed with a depending loop or eye I8 at the rearmost point thereof and two rearwardly directed loops, or eyes, 20 at points behind the users ears; By manufac turing the cord support with a forward eye 20 on each side, it lends itself to use by persons affected in either ear. Preferably the hooks M are covered with flesh-colored material l6 down to the forward eyes 20 and the remainder of the cord support is covered with hair-colored material, the flesh color and the hair color generally being different. This covering may, if desired, be in the form of a suitably colored ribbon wrapped onto the wire member.

Preferably the hearing aid cord 24 is threaded through the rear eye i8 and is wrapped around the part of the rear portion ll] of the wire member 9 and extends upwardly therefrom at an angle to the forward eye 20 which is adjacent the affected ear, thus bridging the forward part of the rear portion of the wire and part of the adjacent arm I2. By this bridging arrangement the cord is more eifectively concealed beneath ZClaims. (01.179-456) I the hair, especially if the ends thereof are moved as by the wind, this being especially important if the cord itself is not hair-colored. The lower end of the cord 24 hangs downward at the back of the neck beneath the users clothing and thence leads to a sound-pickup device (not shown). If desired, the cord 24 may be tied to the eyes l8 and 20 through which it is threaded.

This hearing aid cord support is particularly useful with a hearing aid employing a, soundreproducing device 25 of the air-conduction type since this device itself is readily supported within the ear. If desired, the hearing aid 25 may be rendered further inconspicuous by providing it with external ornamentation (not shown) resembling an earring.

From the foregoing description of my invention it is clear that I have provided hearing aid cord supports of inexpensive construction which very effectively conceal hearing aid cords when worn by ladies. Besides being easily concealed, these hearing aid cord supports may be used by a lady without interfering with the combing of her hair.

While the invention has been described more or less in detail with reference to one particular embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of my invention.

I claim:

1. An accessory for use with hearing aids comprising a single continuous filamentary member 3 of fixed length shaped to provide a rear portion adapted to encircle the-rear part of the users head and to provide forward portions adapted to hook over the respective ears of the user, said filamentary member having a forward full-turn loop located at the junction of said rear portion and each of said forward portions and a rear full-turn loop located at the rear of said rear portion, said loops forming small eyes through which a hearing aid cord may be threaded to lead sound signals from a point at the back of the head to a hearing aid at the users afiected ear.

2. An accessory for use with hearing aids comprising a single continuous filamentary member of fixed length shaped to provide a rear portion adapted ot encircle the rear part of the users head and to provide forward portions adapted to hook over the respective ears of the user, opposite ends of said rear portion being joined to the rear ends of the respective forward portions at positions behind the users respective ears, said filamentary member having a forward full-turn loop located adjacent one ear and at the junction of one end of said rear portion and one of said forward portions and a rear full-turn loop located at the rear of said rear portion, said loops forming small eyes through which a hearing aid cord may be threaded to lead sound signals from a point at the back of the head to a hearing aid at said one ear.

LILLIAN D. CATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name Date 1,581,882 iStace Apr. 20, 1926 1,601,063 Frederick Sept. 8, 1926 1,747,778 Kuchenmeister Feb. 18, 1930 2,179,615 Craig Nov. 14, 1939 

